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Using an innovative technique, scientists counted an average of 240,000 detectable plastic fragments per liter of water after testing the product from several popular brands.
This study, published in the journal PNAS, raises questions about the possible health consequences.
“If people are concerned about nanoplastics in bottled water, it makes sense to consider alternatives such as tap water,” study co-author Beizhan Yan told AFP.
But he added: “We advise against drinking bottled water when necessary, as the risk of dehydration may be greater than the potential consequences of exposure to nanoplastics.”
Nanoplastics have attracted more and more attention in recent years and are present everywhere on earth.
“If people are concerned about nanoplastics in bottled water, it makes sense to consider alternatives such as tap water.”
— Beizhan Yan, darling
Microplastics are less than 5,000 micrometers (or 5 millimeters) in size, while nanoplastics are less than one micrometer in size.
They are so small that they can enter the blood system and even the organs, including the brain and heart.
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Research into their consequences for ecosystems and human health is still limited, but some studies have already shown harmful effects, for example on the reproductive system.
For their study, the researchers used a completely new technology with lasers.
They tested three water brands without revealing their names: “We believe that all water bottles contain nanoplastics, so it might be considered unfair to highlight some of them,” explained Beizhan Yan.
The results showed that each liter contained between 110,000 and 370,000 particles per liter, of which 90% were nanoplastics and the rest were microplastics.
The most common type found was nylon – likely from plastic filters used to purify water – followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which the bottles are made of.
In the future, researchers want to test tap water, which also contains microplastics, although apparently in smaller quantities.
By Le360 (with AFP)
September 1, 2024 at 7:12 am
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